This invention relates to passenger entertainment systems and more particularly to core coupled passenger entertainment systems for increasing the power transfer capability between entertainment system transmitter and passenger seat disposed receivers.
Heretofore the patent literature as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,078 has disclosed the transmission of power and multiplexed data from the passenger entertainment system transmitter through parallel transmission lines on the aircraft floor to an air core multi-turn loop located in the seat leg framework at feet locations. Such configuration has not been found to provide efficient power transfer from the entertainment system transmitter to the passenger seat disposed receivers.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a means for increasing the power transfer capability between an entertainment system transmitter and the individual seat disposed receiver units in the passenger entertainment system while also reducing the effects of conductive objects through control of the electromagnetic environment of the passenger entertainment system transmitter loop.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide reduction in radiated fields from the passenger entertainment system transmitter by disposition of the transmitter loop on a ferromagnetic material, and providing by means of the present embodiments of the invention a further reduction in radiated fields wherein the transmitter loop is disposed in a conductive trough. Accordingly by controlling the field, the radiated electromagnetic interference (EMI) is thereby reduced, as well as circuit sensitivity to surrounding conductive objects.
The individual passenger receiver loops are adapted for installation individually thereby permitting installation and latching thereof through simple individual seat mountings.
Accordingly automatic electrical coupling is provided upon seat installation.
Each seat module may be installed at any location along the passenger entertainment system transmitter loop without installation or disconnection of special hardware.
In contrast with the aforementioned parallel transmission line utilized in U.S. Pat. No. 4,428,078 the present passenger entertainment transmitter is coupled through an output multi-turn loop.
Typical commercial aircraft passenger entertainment and service systems are hard wired thereby requiring many cables and connectors for interconnection to seat receiver systems. A typical installation requires the installation of permanent wire bundles in aircraft structure routed to convenient locations along the fuselage or beneath the floor. The nearest seat module, in a group of seat modules, is connected to the permanent wiring and then all remaining seat modules are linked, in a daisy-chain fashion, from one to another in succession. Interconnecting cables are concealed and protected in a trough running parallel to the seat tracks as a consequence can be seen that any radical change in seat configuration requires the fabrication of new interconnect cables of the proper length to match the new seating spacing dimensions. Seat removal or configuration changes require a labor intensive effort as can readily be appreciated. In contrast embodiments according to the present invention enable coupling of the receiver disposed seat modules through their individual receiver loops to a single multi-turn transmitter loop disposed in a trough running parallel to the seat tracks without the physical connection therebetween. Coupling therebetween in accordance with the embodiments of the present invention is instead by transformer coupling through a ferrite core.